If you are first, you are first. If you are second, you are nothing.
So said Bill Shankly, the legendary Liverpool manager to whom all his successors are invariably compared. It is a quote which, for much of their modern history, Barcelona would have wholeheartedly subscribed to.
Winning the La Liga title has been their aim at the start of virtually every season since Johan Cruyff began to put the Dream Team together in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Yet at the beginning of the current campaign, even the most optimistic Barcelona supporters were nervous for what lay ahead.
Barcelona were, to put it kindly, in a horrible mess. Debts totaling more than €1 billion put the club’s future in doubt. They could not offer to keep hold of Lionel Messi, their greatest ever player, and were forced to stand and watch the Argentina international join Paris Saint-Germain. Ronald Koeman, despite his iconic status as a player, was an unpopular manager. Some sportsbooks listed Barcelona as their third favorites for the title, behind Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
In that context, then, a second-place finish would be a decent outcome for Barcelona. Madrid are uncatchable in top spot; it is only a matter of how far of the chasing pack Carlo Ancelotti’s side finish. But Barcelona now have a four-point lead over Sevilla in third place. Two wins in their final three matches would guarantee them a top-two finish.
It has not been entirely smooth sailing for Xavi Hernandez since the former club captain was handed the reins, but he has succeeded in restoring a sense of positivity around the Camp Nou.
To find out more about how to bet on soccer, check out our guide – we provide definitions, general trips and suggested strategies.
After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in 2018/19 and 2019/20, Celta Vigo have successfully steered clear of the La Liga relegation battle for a second year on the bounce. Celta found themselves at the wrong end of the table after 10 games last season: a return of just one win in that time left them in 20th place in November 2020, the same month Oscar Garcia was relieved of his duties.
Eduardo Coudet was chosen as his replacement, and the Argentine did a fantastic job of turning Celta’s fortunes around. An eighth-place finish was a brilliant achievement considering where Coudet found the club when he was installed in the dugout. Only Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Betis accrued more points than Celta from November 12, the date Coudet was unveiled as Garcia’s replacement.
Celta have not quite been able to replicate that pace this time around, and qualification for either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League is no longer possible. But Coudet deserves credit for consolidating last season’s eighth-place finish.
On their day Celta are tough to play against, as evidenced by the fact they have the eighth-best defensive record in the division. Inconsistency remains an issue, but a team with their budget is never going to be able to put together the sort of winning runs that Barcelona and Real Madrid are capable of. A top-half finish remains within reach for Celta, and causing an upset at the Camp Nou on Tuesday would be another sign of progress.
Barcelona were never going to be able to catch Real Madrid at the summit of the standings, but they would be closer to their arch-rivals in the table had they been more reliable at home of late. Two of Barcelona’s last three league matches at the Camp Nou have ended in defeat, with Cadiz and Rayo Vallecano both emerging triumphant in Catalonia last month – to the surprise of everyone in Spain.
Those two losses show that there is still room for improvement for Xavi’s charges, but Barcelona can reflect with positivity on their La Liga performance in 2022: no team in the division has amassed more points than the Blaugrana since the turn of the year.
Barcelona will want to keep up this momentum as they target a title tilt next term. Their schedule for the rest of the campaign is not particularly daunting: after this clash with Celta, they travel to Getafe at the weekend and host Villarreal on the final day. Xavi’s side should be targeting nine points from nine from those fixtures.
Celta have failed to win six of their last eight league matches, and although they thrashed Alaves 4-0 last time out, Tuesday’s contest is a much tougher assignment. Back Barcelona to win with a -1.5 handicap.
Free play options
Special contests for newbies
Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
🔥 Claimed by 109 people this week!
No bet-throughs required
Lots of sport-specific promos
Promo code 'WSN1000'
$1,000 First Bet on Caesars OR $250 in Bonus Bets
21+ | T&Cs Apply. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Information | |
Teams | Barcelona vs Celta Vigo |
Location | Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain |
Time | Tuesday, 10 May 2022, 3.30 PM EDT |
How to watch | ESPN+ |
We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St. Julians, STJ3148, Malta.
Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.
Copyright © 2024